A lot of us want to freeze time… from time to time. And that’s good. It reflects our happiness & gratefulness. And it shows we have immense appreciation for ‘the moment’ we’re in. Good stuff. A lot of us yearn to go back. To rewind to simpler & more innocent times. That’s good as well, because it’s healthy to love what built you… and to let that forever be a part of your soul. But time can’t be paused, and it can’t be rewound. And that’s the poetic beauty of it. Time… age… is a story that’s unfolding right now… perpetually… for all of us and for all things on earth. The past is inseparably intertwined with the present. Nostalgia is interwoven into the now. And neither could exist without the other. We just went way past cars didn’t we? That’s alright. This is Lucky Chuckie’s (Chuck Faught’s) 1973 Mercedes 280C … aka @stankybenz. 

Lucky Chuckie believes that age brings character…

He pulled this Mercedes Benz 280C from the woods of Alabama. And the goal was to tastefully restore/restomod the car, while simultaneously maintaining that era’s elegance and evolving patina. 

Mercedes 280C – the body…

Surprisingly, the body of the Stankybenz Mercedes 280C only had one small section of bodyfiller over its lifespan, just behind the door on the passenger’s side. That was great news overall. But what was less ideal, is that the floor pans and rockers had some substantial rot, so they needed to be replaced. Once that was taken care of with new metal, @divingboardlord came in to put a magic shine back on that aged (but thicc) Mercedes paint. It was important that the imperfections of age (surface rust, etc) were commemorated, not concealed. The 280C got a set of euro headlights. And the original sunroof… just wasn’t big enough. So Chuck gave Stankybenz a Legacy sliding ragtop. 

Unstanking the Stank – 280C Interior…

While the body of the Benz could get away with a little grit, it just seemed right that the interior exude emotions of vintage European elegance. Chuck carefully pulled the original, fatigued & swollen blue interior piece by piece. And either restored, or replaced all components before reupholstering and/or dying them all to a magnificent, rejuvenating red. 

 

Mad friends with bagged Benz’s – 280C wheels & suspension… 

Not easy but worth it. Stankybenz is on a W114/W115 air bag kit from Twisted Images, with a trunk setup by @nrtcard. It’s got 14in BBS MAHLE wheels and whitewalls, and Airlift 3H sensors. There’s a story here: Chuck originally ordered a DOLUD W114/W115 bag kit from ECS Tuning. When the kit arrived, they weren’t quite ready to install it yet, so they put the kit on the shelf & time went by. When it was finally time to start test-fitting the new suspension, they realized the kit was for a W126 chassis. In other words, the wrong kit. At that point, it was too late for returns. So the moral of the story: Always check your packages gents. 

Mercedes Benz 280C – vintage mechanics…

When Chuck started this project, as you can probably imagine, the car didn’t start, stop, or do pretty much anything mechanically. Chuck wasn’t out to build a track weapon or break horsepower records, but he did want a solid cruiser. With the help of @clintside_snoopy, @norotrollers, and @garageboundllc, they were able to transform the M110 manifold and get it setup for Aces Deuces EFI (2-barrel fuel injection) & High Roller engine management. It was then dialed-in by @castironvulture.

To wrap it up…

Like Chuck said, age brings character. This Mercedes Benz cannot exist in its current authenticity or substance, without seasons & decades under its belt. Likewise, character is a bewilderingly comparative measure. For example, you never fully realize the mystique of pop-up headlights… until you live in a world full of automatic headlamps. Think about that. And in the same vein, the true romance behind this classic Mercedes coupe… it’s artful elegance & style… only comes into clearest focus when you slow it all down & compare. Compare it against the impersonal, automated, sanitized, profit-margined, sensor-driven traits that have become today’s ‘modern mobility’.

Photos by Benny Whiles

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